Posted: 10/20/2016 11:39:56 PM EDT
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I have very limited experience hunting, deer or otherwise, that being said, my first deer was shot with an M1 Garand at about 60 yards. Not a tough shot and the buck was looking at us and stuck around long enough for me to get a good sight picture and squeeze off a round.
I have killed a standing deer with a slug from a rifle sighted shotgun at about 45 yards and I have killed one that was slowly walking underneath my stand, using an AK with a red dot, from about 10 feet away. I killed a small black bear that was up a pine tree from about 20 yards up with an un-scoped 98K 8mm Mauser. I don't ever remember killing a deer or other game animal with any of my scoped bolt actions and I don't ever remember shooting at a running animal. Considering the adrenal flow when a target is seen and your ready to shoot, keeping a steady hand and forcing calm breaths can be a challenge on still targets, let alone shots on ones trotting or running along. I could not imagine being in a firefight and remaining calm enough to take aimed shots at an enemy, especially using iron sights or even a scope of 4 power or more. It would seem that you could hardly keep the cross hairs from bouncing 3 meters up or down just from your heart pumping out of your chest. Of the sights I have used, irons, red dots and magnified optics, it would seem to me that the red dot would provide the best aiming option available in a firefight. I'd like to hear from those with experience or even from those that have had the training as to which aiming option they prefer for most environments and which one would be the most practical, useful and effective in combat conditions. I get that magnified optics would give the advantage in being able to see targets farther away, but when the shooting starts it would seem difficult to aim at moving targets with a magnified optic and still keep your peripheral vision. Are aimed shots even taken in combat, or is it just a point in the general direction of fire and unload your mag? Is the enemy ever seen? In all the chaos and movement, it would seem to me that the red dot would provide the best optic to quickly engage a man-sized target up to 200 yards without too much effort. |
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Having used all you listed I would go for a red dot optic like an Aimpoint. I haven't been in combat but have trained a lot with all. The nice thing about a RDS is that the dot is always centered so all you basically have to do is put the dot on what you want to hit. It's very effective when shooting quickly at multiple targets, you have full field of vision when shooting with both eyes open so you can acquire your target much faster. Scopes are great for range and very precise shots but like you said when your hearts pumping hard the reticle does bounce around and you will lose sight of your target plus you have to have a good cheek weld for a accurate shot, same goes for irons.
ETA: Talking to a buddy that has seen a lot of combat, yes they take aimed shots. It's not spray and pray. |